Bracket for outboard motors



1952 R. M. WlTT 2,613,896

BRACKET FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Filed July 15, 1947 -3 Sheets-Sheet I (Raw wfiIZVENTDOR.

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Oct. 14, 1952 w 2,613,896

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BRACKET FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Filed July 15, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 l NVE N TOR.

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Patented Oct. 14, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,613,896 I v l BRACKET FOR OUTBOARD orons Robert M. Witt, North Riverside, Ill. I Application July '15, 1947, Serial No. 761,097

1 The present invention relates in general to outboard motors that may be attached to the stern transom of a boat for propulsion purposes and is particularly concerned with new and useful improvements in supports for such outboard motors as are employed on light marine craft.

Conventional present day outboard motors generally are provided with means whereby it is possible to steer a boat and cause the boat to move in a rearwardly direction by turning the entire motor around a vertical axis and it is also possible to ride over obstructions by permitting the'motor to swing freely in a substantially vertical plane, but when it becomes necessary to remove any obstructions from the propeller of the motor, or to replace a conventional sheared propeller pin, or to clear the Water inlet for cooling the motor of weeds or other obstructions,

or to make any other adjustments or repairs to the lower part of the motor assembly, it has been necessary, heretofore, to remove the entire motor from the stern transom of the boat to which it is attached in order to make advantageous repairs to same. Thus, it can be seen that to make repairs under the aforementioned conditions would be a difiicult and dangerous task while in a relatively small boat since it may result in .capsizing the boat or dropping the motor overboard.

Accordingly, an important object and accomplishment of .the invention is to provide a bracket which may be advantageously employed in an adjunctive capacity to conventional outboard motors and which will enable the operator thereof to swing the propeller end of the outboard motor out of the water and then swing the motor in a substantially horizontal plane so as to bring the propeller end within the area of the boat for advantageous repairs to the propeller or adjacent parts thereof, orto clear the propeller of snagging objects.

Another object and accomplishment of the invention is to provide a bracket for outboard motors which maybe advantageously secured to a boat and motor, quickly and conveniently, without necessitating alterations to the conventional motors or alterations to the stern transom of a boat to which it is desired to have the motor secured, or necessitating special tools.

The invention seeks, as a further object and accomplishment, to provide a bracket for outboard motors as contemplated herein and characterized by an arrangement of parts to more advantageously and satisfactorily perform the functions required of it and adapted to provide a compact unit which will successfully combine VIEWS.

1 Claim. (Cl. 248-4) the factors of structural simplicity and dura bility, and yet be economical to manufacture;

Additional objects, features and advantages of the invention disclosed herein will be apparent to persons skilled in the art after the construction and operation are understood from the within description. It is preferred to accomplish the various objects of the invention and to practice the same in substantially the manner hereinafter fully described and as more particularly pointed out in the appended claim, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, wherein: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an outboard motor bracket embodying the features of the invention as contemplated herein and said bracket being illustrated in operative position having a conventional outboard motor carried thereby;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the outboard motor bracket depicted in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the outboard motor bracket depicted in Fig. 1; i

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevational view of a por-' tion of the outboard bracket depicted in Fig. 1

and being taken substantially on the plane of form of outboard motor bracket. as contemplated herein.

The drawings are to be understood as being more or less of a schematic character fornthe purpose of illustrating and disclosing typical or preferred forms of the improvements contemplated herein and in the drawings like reference characters identify the same parts in the several 2 and 6, I have illustrated the outboard motor bracket with which the invention is particularly concerned and designated in its entirety by the numeral 20, as being adjunctively employed ,.for example, to a conventional outboard motor designated in its entirety by the letter A and adaptable to be removably attached to the stern transom B of a conventional boat C forpropulsion purposes.

In Fig. 1, for example, the conventionaloutboard motor A advantageously may be removably. attached in operative position to the stern'tra n som 'Bof the boat 0 by means of a conventional bracket 2| having legs 22 and 23 adaptable to straddle the stern transom B, said legs having screw clamping means such as at 24 and 25 which are adaptable to engage portions of the stern transom, thereby clamping the outboard motor A in operative position in the conventional manner. The outboard motor A may be provided with conventional tilting means 26 which permits the motor to ride over obstructions by permitting the motor to swing freely in a substantially vertical plane, and conventional steering means comprising a handle 21 adaptable to cause the turning of the entire motor on a vertical axis, thereby to steer the boat or to cause the boat to move in a rearwardly direction by turning the motor completely around said vertical axis. Extending from the upper portions of the motor and operatively associated therewith, is a conventional drive shaft housing 28 adaptable to drive a conventional propeller 29. 1

Sufiice it to say, since the invention is not particularly concerned with the precise construction of the illustrated boat C and the outboard motor A or' their associated'parts, they will not be further described in detail, and it is deemed sufficient for all intents and purposes herein contained to show only portions thereof adjacent to and cooperating with the outboard motor bracket 20. It is to be understood that details of construction of such boats, motors and their associated parts may be modified to suit particular conditions, and I do not wish to be limited to the construction oftheseelements as set forth except where such construction particularly concerns the invention contemplated herein.

Having thus described by Way of example, one possible adaptation of the outboard motor bracket as contemplated herein and having described the general environment surrounding said one adaptation, the specific construction and cooperating functions of the parts of said outboard motor bracket with which the present invention is particularly concerned, will now be described in detail.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention depicted in Fi s. 1, 2 and 3, the outboard motor bracket is shown as being employed adjunctively, for example, to the conventional outboard motor A, said outboard motor bracket in general comprising a bracket member 30 adapted to be removably secured in operative position on the stern transom B of a boat such as C, a hinge member 3i removably carried by said bracket member and adaptable to rotate in substantially a horizontal plane about an axis established by a pin 32 fixedly secured to said hinge member 3| and adaptable to be received into a suitable aperture 33 (Fig. 2) in the bracket member 30, an arm 35 hingedly carried by said hinge member 3| so as to permit said arm to swing in a substantially vertical plane, and a clamping bracket 36 adjustably carried by said arm 35 and having clamping means adaptable for securement to the outboard motor bracket 2! as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. V

The bracket member 30 may be cast or forged by any conventional approved practice of suitable light weight metals', such as, for example, aluminum, steel or alloys of these metals and formed to define an inverted U-shape with suitable legs 40 and M adaptable to straddle the stern transom B of the boat C and having thumb screws securing means 42 adaptable to engage portions of the stern transom B, thereby to clamp and hold said bracket member 38 in operative position. It is notable that the bracket member 3c may be easily and. conveniently removed from the stern transom B by merely loosening the thumb screw 42.

' According to the construction of the invention, the hinge member 3i in like manner may be cast or forged by any conventional approved practice of suitable light weight metals, such as, for example, aluminum, steel or alloys of these metals, and formed to define two opposed upstanding legs 45 and 46 having opposed'through apertures 31 and 48, respectively, adaptable to receive a pivot pin 49 which is provided as an axis for the swinging movement in substantially a vertical plane of the arm 35. The pivot pin may be of conventional construction and the ends thereof may be swagged or provided with conventional cotter pins (not shown) after assembly of the hinge member 3| and the arm 35 to hold said pin in operative position.

The pin 32 may be fixedly secured by any approved practicesuch as, for example, welding, to said hinge member illjsaidpin being positioned on the bottom of the lower flange of said hinge member and projecting downwardly so that'when the hinge member 3i is in assembled position with-respect to the bracket member 30, the pin 32 will be received into the aperture 33 in the bracket member 30, thereby permitting the hinge member 3! to rotate in substantially a horizontal plane about an axis established by the pin 32. c

Preferably, the arm 351is formed of suitable bar-stock to define aturned-back end 50 to provide an aperture which is adaptable to receive the pivot pin 39 so that the, arm 35, in efiect, is hingedly carried by said hinge member 31 so as to permit said arm to swing in a substantially vertical plane as shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 2. At the opposite end of said turned-back end 50 of the arm 35,,there is provided a flange portion 5! having a substantially pointed end 52 which is adaptable to engage a flange 53 integrally formed with the leg 22 of the member 2i of the motor A, thereby, with respect to one side of the motor, to advantageously hold and clamp the bracket 20 to the-bracket 2! of the motor A. Because the flange 53; may vary in thickness in the different motors of various makes that may be advantageously employed with the bracket 20, it is necessary to provide an adjustment between the clamp member 35and: the arm 35. This is advantageously accomplished in the present invention by the provision of suitable screws as at 55and 56 which screws are adaptable to be received into suitably slotted apertures 51 and 58, respectively, and the'threa'ded end portions of the screws being adaptable to be received into suitably threaded aperturesiin the flange 51 of the arm 35. Thus, it may be observed that adjustments between the arm=t5 and the clamping member 35 may be advantageously accomplished motor bracket 2|, and said C-shaped formationhaving threaded set screws 62 and '63 which are adaptable to engage portions of the flange 6|,- thereby to facilitate securement of the clamping member '36 to the bracket 2| of the motor A.

Adverting to Fig. 6 in which I have shown a modification of the invention contemplated herein, it may be observed that the structure as shown comprises a bracket member 16 of identical construction to and having the same functions and purposes as the bracket member 30 and adaptable to be removably secured in operative position on the stern transom B of a boat such as C, ahinge member H of identical construction to that. of hinge member 3| hereinbefore described and removably carried'by said bracket member 1| and adaptable to rotate in substantially a horizontal planeabout an axis established by a pin 12 flX- edly securedj'to said hinge member "H andadaptable to bereceived into a suitable aperture 13 in the bracket member 10, and an arm 15 hingedly carried by said hinge member H so asto permit said arm 15 to swing in a substantially vertical plane, said arm 15 being provided at one end thereof with a flange l6 adaptable to engage portions of the bracket 2| of the motor A and having a slotted aperture 17 adaptable to receive the pivot bolt 18 0f the vertical tilting device 26 of the motor A. It is notable that the slotted aperture I1 is provided so that vertical adjustments may be made in order to properly position the arm 75 in operative position. It may be observed, in this modified structure, that the clamping member 36 hereinbefore described has been eliminated and. this elimination may be necessary in certain types of construction of motors, or in certain transom constructions on certain t pes of boats; therefore, the only difference between the two constructions is the elimination in the modified strulcture of the clamping member 36.

' The operation of the device may be as follows: When it is desired to employ the bracket 2|] adjunctively to conventional outboard motors such as at A, the bracket 20 is placed in operative position on the stern transom B of a boat and thereafter the thumb screw means 42 is tightened so that said bracket is rigidly secured to the stern transom. The remaining portions of the bracket 20 comprising the hinge member 3|, the arm 35, and the clamping bracket-member 3B is secured to the motor. This is advantagously accomplished by loosening the screws 55 and 56 and permitting the flange 53 of the bracket member 22 of the motor A to become engaged with the point 52 of the flange 5| of the arm 35. The

screws 55 and 56 are then tightened to hold the arm 35 and clamping member 36 in clamping engagement with the flange 53. In like manner the set screws 62 and 63 are tightened so as to engage portions of the flange 6| of the bracket 23 of the motor A.

It is notable that the pin 32 of the hinge member 3|, when inserted in the aperture 33 of the bracket 30, provides the only connection between the bracket 30 and the other hereinbefore described members of the bracket 20. Moreover, the bracket 30 will remain secured in its proper position on the stern transom of the boat when the motor is removed for storage, while the clamping member 36, the arm 35, and the hinge member 3| are carried away with the motor and remain in their clamped position, thus, when the motor is brought back to the boat the pin 32 is inserted into the aperture 33 of the bracket member 30 and the operator need only to tightpin, orato clearvthe water ,inletfor cooling the motor of weeds or other obstructions, or to make other adjustments or repairs, to the lower portions of the motor, assemblyhtheoperator need only to loosenthe clamping member 24 and 25 of themotor bracket 2] and,ti,lt the motor in a vertical planeat, approximately, a ninety degree angle which ,will position the motor as shown in dotted linesin Fig. 5. Thismay be advantageouslyaccomplished because of the normal balance of the motor whichpermi-tswan easy and convenient tilting thereof. It may beobserved that the motor is now in a substantially horizontal position substantially parallel to the stern transom of the boat. entire assembly may be rotated in substantially a horizontal plane. to Fig. 5, the propeller 29 may be pulled toward the operator which will bring the propeller and lower portions of the motor within the confines of the boat C. After this is accomplished, portions of the motor may be lowered'or pivoted in substantially a vertical plane to bring the propeller down into engagement with the seat (Fig. l)

of the boat Where easy and convenient repairs may be made. After such repairs as desiredare made, the motor may be returned to its operative position by reversing the procedure hereinbefore described.

From the foregoing disclosure it may be observed that I have provided a bracket which efficiently fulfills the objects thereof as hereinbefore set forth and provides numerous advantage which may be summarized as follows:

1. structurally simple, efficient and durable; 2. Economical to manufacture and readily adaptable to mass production manufacturing principles; and r 3. The provision of a bracket which may b advantageously employed in an adjunctive capacity to conventional outboard motors and which will enablethe operator thereof to swing the propeller end of the outboard motor out of the water and then swing the motor in a substantially horizontal plane so as to bring the propeller end within the area of the boat for wish to avail myself of all changes within the 7 whose legs are engageable with opposite sides of said stern transom in spaced relation to one of said flanges, transom engageable clamping means carried by one of said legs, a hinge member supported on said U-shaped clamping member and By virtueof the pivot pins 32 the In other words, adverting,

pivotally connected thereto for rotation about a vertical axis, an arm having one endthereof pivotally connected to said hinge member on" a horizontal axis, a downwardly directed flange on the other end of said arm adjacent said'motor bracket and having a free end engageable with said one of said flanges, and an elongated clamping bracket member for disposal on said edge of the stern transom and beneath said bracket portions, said clamping bracket member having an upwardly directed flange at one end thereof, means adjustably connecting said last flange and the downwardly directed flange on the arm, the other end of saidclamping bracket member being of generally C-form and providing for the 15 reception of the other motor bracket flange, and a pair of screwsthreaded into said C- form end 7 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 1

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date 1,908,470 Beuttner May 9, 1933 2,379,256 Schleisner June 26, 1945 2,390,135 Tobias .f Dec. 4, 1945 "FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 10,647 France a Jan. 14, 1909 418,078

France Nov. 30, 1910 

